The Black Muslimah Shining Scholarship celebrates the leadership and achievements of Black Muslim women while helping remove financial barriers to education.
Application Deadline: July 17th, 2026
$2,500 Scholarship Award
Inquiries about the application process can be made to info@ccmw.com with the subject line: Scholarship Application.
The Black Muslimah Shining Scholarship was created to recognize, uplift, and invest in the next generation of Black Muslim women leaders across Canada. Rooted in the Canadian Council of Muslim Women’s commitment to equity, inclusion, and community empowerment, the scholarship aims to help remove financial barriers to education while celebrating the resilience, excellence, and contributions of Black Muslimahs.
This scholarship is part of CCMW’s broader Black Muslimahs Shining program, which celebrates the leadership, achievements, and voices of Black Muslim women while helping remove financial barriers to education.
Through this initiative, we hope to create greater opportunities for students to pursue their academic and professional goals with confidence, while also affirming their identities, voices, and leadership within their communities and beyond.
The Alia Hogben Scholarship is an award established in memory of Alia Hogben, a trained social worker, Order of Canada recipient, and longtime Executive Director of CCMW. It supports Muslim women pursuing social work studies at a Canadian college or university. Each scholarship is valued at $1,500 and is paid directly to the recipient.
Eligible applicants are Muslim women who:
The Alia Hogben Scholarship is designed to honour Alia’s life in social work. By supporting students in BSW and MSW programs specifically, CCMW hopes to invest in the next generation of Muslim women who will serve their communities the way Alia did — with compassion, dedication, and a deep commitment to justice.
Yes. Applicants who meet the eligibility criteria for more than one CCMW scholarship may apply for multiple awards through the same application form. However, only one award will be granted per recipient.
No, applicants must be enrolled full-time in a BSW or MSW program to qualify.
Only Canadian citizens and permanent residents are eligible. International students on temporary study permits are not eligible to apply.
Applicants must submit the following:
A completed, signed scholarship application form.
Applicants can submit either a 1-2 minute video or audio statement, or a 500-word written essay describing why they are a deserving candidate. This should include their civic engagement, volunteer activities, academic achievements, accomplishments, and goals.
A completed financial summary using the Student Budget Calculator Worksheet.
Two letters of reference (from an educator or someone familiar with their community service; a CCMW member reference is also welcome). Volunteering with CCMW in local communities is considered an asset.
A copy of the most recent academic transcript.
There is no minimum GPA requirement, but academic achievement is considered as part of the overall evaluation.
Selected recipients will be contacted directly by CCMW in August. Successful applicants are also publicly acknowledged on CCMW’s platforms and recognized at the Annual Women Who Inspire event in early November.
Scholarship funds are paid directly to the recipient upon confirmation of enrolment.
At the Canadian Council of Muslim Women (CCMW), we are committed to the equity, equality and empowerment of Muslim women in Canada. Your donation supports critical initiatives, including legal aid, emergency financial assistance, scholarships, advocacy, and education programs.
Every dollar you give helps build a more just and equitable society for Muslim women and girls.
As a non-profit organization, we could not do what we do without our funders.
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